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Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • Fan 590 •
LOS ANGELES (July 23) – In his quest to improve the Maple Leafs, Brian Burke has acquired youth and experience over the past four months without yielding either prospects or key personnel. Through free agency, the draft, and one trade, Burke has ostensibly provided the Leafs an eight-for-one exchange: Christian Hanson, Tyler Bozak, Nazem Kadri, Colton Orr, Michael Komisarek, Garnet Exelby, Francois Beauchemin and Jonas Gustavsson for Pavel Kubina and his $5 million contract. By any objective standard, that is impressive work, and it enables the hockey club to embark on the 2009-10 season – at the very least – with a fresh outlook.
Now, the Maple Leafs’ GM has 23 days to prevent himself from negating much of the process.
That’s the amount of time remaining until Tomas Kaberle’s limited no-movement clause goes back into effect through all of next season. And, though Burke continues to posture by “insisting” Kaberle will be in the Leafs’ opening-night line up, Oct. 1st, he must also understand there is hardly any rationale in retaining the veteran defenseman beyond this summer. In fact, it says here that only a bout of stubbornness – fueled by over-valuing the Czech-born blue-liner – can preclude Burke from pulling off a trade essential to the Maple Leafs’ development by the Aug. 15th contractual deadline. And, what a waste of an opportunity that would be for the hockey club.
Let’s take a closer look at the two-sided Kaberle factor.
While he is unquestionably the Leafs’ best defenseman, Kaberle is not, nor has he ever been, in the upper echelon among NHL stars. He is an above-average performer some nights; middling and ineffective on many others, with an enviable ability to head-man the puck. His repertoire does not include even a shred of physical aptitude, which would seem to disqualify him as a Burke protégé. Though some may invoke Kaberle’s “many contributions to the Maple Leafs”, the club could just as easily have missed the playoffs the past four years without him. Fact is, Kaberle hasn’t appeared in a post-season game in more than half-a-decade, and we can easily count, on one hand, the number of playoff encounters he influenced prior to 2004. Given he is approaching his advanced hockey years [32 next March]; that he’s grown stale in a Toronto jersey, and is coming off a season in which his performance went into marked decline, Kaberle is no longer among the key components of a club undergoing such a vast renovation.
Conversely, the laws of supply, demand, economics and opportunity are squarely in Burke’s corner. Though it might be a stretch to consider him the final piece of a Stanley Cup puzzle, Kaberle is, without question, the most accomplished blue-liner available for trade in the NHL this summer. He plays the skating position that GMs find most difficult to assemble quality personnel. His hockey smarts and puck-moving skill – coupled with a desperately-required change of scenery – could provide a contending team an important, missing element, or serve to enhance a top club’s existing strength. He is, as Burke accurately contends, a low-maintenance, high-quality teammate; certainly among the classiest players I’ve been associated with in nearly 20 years on the Leafs beat. And, most attractively, Tomas carries with him an understated salary [and cap hit], with two years left at $4.25 million per season. That contractual allurement is no longer of benefit to the Maple Leafs, who will almost surely be in a structuring mode beyond its remaining term. But, it could be an economic and strategic God-send for a club at an advanced stage of development.
That’s why it is almost impossible to conceive that Burke will not be presented an adequate trade proposal before Aug. 15th. Though the GM contends he will only move Kaberle if his “socks” are blown off, he knows he isn’t bartering Zdeno Chara, Nicklas Lidstrom, Dion Phaneuf, Dan Boyle, or any front-of-the-pack NHL defenseman. Kaberle is in the upper-middle echelon of blue-liners, but his value on the supply-and-demand market is likely never to be higher than right now. As such, Burke should attract at least one disproportionate offer for his services.
If the Leaf boss waits it out another season [Kaberle can, and likely again will, strictly limit overtures at the trade deadline next March], the benefits of acquiring the veteran diminish. He’ll be another year older, with only one season remaining on his enticing pact. The risk of injury increases with age, and there is no guarantee – at the moment – that Kaberle’s huge backward step in 2008-09 was a mirage, though it’s reasonable to assume he’d find new life in an improved environment.
Most of all is the sheer futility of a restructuring outfit like the Maple Leafs hanging on to such a delectable trade nugget. As mentioned earlier, mismanagement of that order would invalidate much of what Burke has accomplished since acquiring Hanson in late-March. And, double-B hasn't attained his lofty status by making many bad calls in key situations, or by shying away from high-stakes maneuvering.
Therefore, I continue to believe it is a foregone conclusion that Kaberle has played his final game in a Toronto jersey, and that the Leafs’ future will be further enhanced before the middle of next month.
E-mail howard.berger@rci.rogers.com
Now, the Maple Leafs’ GM has 23 days to prevent himself from negating much of the process.
That’s the amount of time remaining until Tomas Kaberle’s limited no-movement clause goes back into effect through all of next season. And, though Burke continues to posture by “insisting” Kaberle will be in the Leafs’ opening-night line up, Oct. 1st, he must also understand there is hardly any rationale in retaining the veteran defenseman beyond this summer. In fact, it says here that only a bout of stubbornness – fueled by over-valuing the Czech-born blue-liner – can preclude Burke from pulling off a trade essential to the Maple Leafs’ development by the Aug. 15th contractual deadline. And, what a waste of an opportunity that would be for the hockey club.
Let’s take a closer look at the two-sided Kaberle factor.
While he is unquestionably the Leafs’ best defenseman, Kaberle is not, nor has he ever been, in the upper echelon among NHL stars. He is an above-average performer some nights; middling and ineffective on many others, with an enviable ability to head-man the puck. His repertoire does not include even a shred of physical aptitude, which would seem to disqualify him as a Burke protégé. Though some may invoke Kaberle’s “many contributions to the Maple Leafs”, the club could just as easily have missed the playoffs the past four years without him. Fact is, Kaberle hasn’t appeared in a post-season game in more than half-a-decade, and we can easily count, on one hand, the number of playoff encounters he influenced prior to 2004. Given he is approaching his advanced hockey years [32 next March]; that he’s grown stale in a Toronto jersey, and is coming off a season in which his performance went into marked decline, Kaberle is no longer among the key components of a club undergoing such a vast renovation.
Conversely, the laws of supply, demand, economics and opportunity are squarely in Burke’s corner. Though it might be a stretch to consider him the final piece of a Stanley Cup puzzle, Kaberle is, without question, the most accomplished blue-liner available for trade in the NHL this summer. He plays the skating position that GMs find most difficult to assemble quality personnel. His hockey smarts and puck-moving skill – coupled with a desperately-required change of scenery – could provide a contending team an important, missing element, or serve to enhance a top club’s existing strength. He is, as Burke accurately contends, a low-maintenance, high-quality teammate; certainly among the classiest players I’ve been associated with in nearly 20 years on the Leafs beat. And, most attractively, Tomas carries with him an understated salary [and cap hit], with two years left at $4.25 million per season. That contractual allurement is no longer of benefit to the Maple Leafs, who will almost surely be in a structuring mode beyond its remaining term. But, it could be an economic and strategic God-send for a club at an advanced stage of development.
That’s why it is almost impossible to conceive that Burke will not be presented an adequate trade proposal before Aug. 15th. Though the GM contends he will only move Kaberle if his “socks” are blown off, he knows he isn’t bartering Zdeno Chara, Nicklas Lidstrom, Dion Phaneuf, Dan Boyle, or any front-of-the-pack NHL defenseman. Kaberle is in the upper-middle echelon of blue-liners, but his value on the supply-and-demand market is likely never to be higher than right now. As such, Burke should attract at least one disproportionate offer for his services.
If the Leaf boss waits it out another season [Kaberle can, and likely again will, strictly limit overtures at the trade deadline next March], the benefits of acquiring the veteran diminish. He’ll be another year older, with only one season remaining on his enticing pact. The risk of injury increases with age, and there is no guarantee – at the moment – that Kaberle’s huge backward step in 2008-09 was a mirage, though it’s reasonable to assume he’d find new life in an improved environment.
Most of all is the sheer futility of a restructuring outfit like the Maple Leafs hanging on to such a delectable trade nugget. As mentioned earlier, mismanagement of that order would invalidate much of what Burke has accomplished since acquiring Hanson in late-March. And, double-B hasn't attained his lofty status by making many bad calls in key situations, or by shying away from high-stakes maneuvering.
Therefore, I continue to believe it is a foregone conclusion that Kaberle has played his final game in a Toronto jersey, and that the Leafs’ future will be further enhanced before the middle of next month.
E-mail howard.berger@rci.rogers.com
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